1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to the formation of a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) utilizing a chemical mechanical polishing or planarization (CMP) process to form a planar lower electrode configuration enabling planar MEMS technologies.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditional MEMS technologies often utilize chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or furnace processes to deposit sacrificial films. The sacrificial films are blanket deposited over the underlying structure which typically does not have a planar underlying topography. The sacrificial films have a tendency to follow the contours of the underlying structures which compromises the structural integrity of the MEMS device due to compromises that must be made in the MEMS design to accommodate the sacrificial film formation. The MEMS layer will then produce a conformal coating on the sacrificial layer. In particular, the structural integrity of the MEMS device may be compromised by the efforts to obtain a planarized sacrificial layer. Even those MEMS processes that utilize a planarizing spin-on film for the sacrificial layers suffer from having to planarize over the underlying electrode topographies.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method to fabricate a MEMS device in which the lower electrode is planarized without compromising the structural integrity of the MEMS device.